Improvement in apparatus for separating iron from foundery-refuse



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APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING IRQN FROM FOUNDRY REFUSE. No.175,Z31. PatentedMarch 21,1876.

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APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING IR'DN' FROM FOUNDRY REFUSE. No.175,231.Patented March 21,1876.

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UNITED STATES PATENT. ()rrron.

OLIVER D. WOODRUFF, OF SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING IRON FROM FOUNDERY-REFUSE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,231, dated March21, 1876; application filed November 16, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER D. WOODRUFF, of Southington, in the. countyof Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented; certain new anduseful Improvements in Machines for Separating Iron fromFoundery-Refuse, of which the following is a specification My inventionconsists of the vibrating chute, an inclined distributing-apron, and anair-blast directed to the point of the apron upon which the material isdeposited, all operating together as hereafter described; also, of theair-chute provided with an adjustable cover-and hinged to the base ofthe hopper, as hereafter described; also, of the dust-arrester placed atthe effluent end of the separator, all as hereinafter .fully described.

It is the general custom in founderies to roll the clinker or scoria inrolling barrels to break it and separate the large pieces of iron, thesofter material becoming broken, so that it and the fine pieces of ironwill escape through the. crevices left in the barrel for such purpose,and the larger pieces remain in the barrel and are saved, while all thatruns through the crevices of the barrel is generally considered refuse,and is thrown away.

The object of my invention is to separate the small particles of ironfrom this refuse, whereby a very great saving is effected.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a top view of a separator whichembodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear-end view of the same. Fig. 3 isa like view with the lower duster removed. Fig. at is a vertical sectionof the same on line at a; of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofthe adjustable apron as detached from the machine.

The parts are mounted upon any suitable frame, A, and at one end thereis a fan or blower, B, and at the opposite end a vibrating sieve, C, issuspended, substantially the same as in ordinary grain -separators. Fromthe lower end of the sieve C a chute, D, extends to a point over. ahopper, E, which leads to the adjustable inclined distributing-apron a,Figs. at and 5, immediately in front of the airchute b of the fan B. Theupper side or cover 0 of the air-chute b is adjustable, and can beraised or lowered so as to contract or widen the current or blast of airpassing through it,

secured to the arm or arms of and thereby throw it upon the apron a withgreater or less force, as occasion may require. The hopper-baseH is alsoadjustable, and is hinged to the end of the adjustable chutecover 0,whereby the effluent end of the chute and the influent end of theair-passage leading to the apron always coincide. F designates the mainshaft, propelled-by any suitable power and provided with pulleys andbelts or other known means for transmitting motion to the blower B andto the crank d. A sliding bar, Gr, extends across the rear end of theframe A, from which an arm, 0, projects upward into a socket formed onthe vibrating sieve C, and to the lower arms of said bar the adjustableapron a is secured. This apron is the sliding bar G by means of bolts f,which pass through slots in both parts, as shown in Fig. 1, so that theapron can be adjusted to different angles by means of the vertical slot,and may be adjusted to and from the blower by means of the horizontalslot. useful, as the driving-power will vary under differentcircumstances, and if the power be insufficient the blast will not bestrong enough to blow the coarse dust over the apron. In such an eventit can be let down toward the effluent end of the air-chute when theblast will take the dust, coal, &c., over the rear end of the apron. Ifthe blast be too strong, then a part of the iron as well as the coarserdust will be carried over the rear of the apron and wasted; but byadjusting the apron to carry it, and consequently its rear end, fartherback, away from the delivery end of the blast, the iron will not bethrown over the rear end of the apron. Thus it will be seen that theapron can be adjusted relatively to the power of the blast, so as tooperate in the same manner under different blasts.

The edges of the apron move just under side pieces h h, so as to preventthe refuse from falling off the sides of the apron and yet allow theapron to vibrate from side to side. A pitman, g, connects the slidingbar G with the crank d. Other well-known mechanisms may be employed forimparting motion to the fan, sieve, and vibrating apron. Upon the underside of the sieve a dust-conductor, i, is secured, which leads to thedust arrester I,

This latter adjustment is very l 12' me eor which carries the dust andprevents the airblast from coming in contact with it. This dust-arresteris an upright chute (slightly inrl ned) inclosed upon all sides, andextending 11 pw ard above the cflluent current of air. The l w r end maybe left upon for a greater or less distance from its base, as may bedesired, but ll prefer to have it open but a short distance from itsbase. The upper surface of the apron may be plain, or provided withledges, as shown in Fig. 5.

The operation is as follows, viz Rapid motion is imparted to the mainshaft, which starts the blower and throws a strong airblast upon theinclined apron a, while the crank d, through the pitman g and slidingbar G, causes the sieve O and apron a to vibrate rapidly. The refuse isthen feed or supplied in any proper manner to the upper end of the sieve(J, when the finer portion and major bulk of the refuse, dust, ashes,820., will be shaken through the sieve, and, falling on the conductor i,will run down into the dustorrester I, where it falls to its base. Sosoon as sufficient dust accumulates at its base to close its lower end,no more dust will rise. When the dust-arrester I is full, or nearlyfull, the dust at its base can be removed, when the dust in theconductor will all run out. If desired, instead of leaving the lower endopen a little at the base, it might be closed by a sliding gate, whichcould be raised once in a while, to let out and clear away the dust thathas accumulated within the arrcster, and then no dust would arise fromit when the machine is first started. The coarser portions will workdown through the chute D and .hopper E toward the apron a. Some of thelighter portions will be thrown backward by this air-blast, and out atthe rear of the machine, without falling upon the apron but as thematerial is a heavy one, a large portion of it will fall upon the aprona. The airchute b is so placed as to throw the air-blast directly uponthe distributiugapron a,(which feature is believed to be new,) and blowthe refuse on the apron out of therear. of the machine, but the materialis so heavy that, without something to aid the air-blast, alarge pile ofiron and refuse would soon accumulate-upon theapron. Such a result isavoided by the vibrating action of said apron, which continu ally jarsthe material so soon as it strikes said apron, and thereby exposes allof it to the air-blast, so that the refuse is thrown out at the rear,and the pellets and scales of iron work down the apron and fall-into thereceptacle J, Fig. 3.

Although I prefer to make the apron vibrate laterally, it might be madestationary, with vibrating fingers placed just overthe apron to stir thematerial and prevent an undue accumulation upon the apron.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the vibrating chute- Dwith an inclined distributing-apron, and an air-blast chute directed tothe point of the apron upon which the material to be cleaned isdeposited, allsubstantially'as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The air-chute b, provided with the-adjustable cover 0, in combinationwith the hopperbase H, hinged to said cover, all substantially asdescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

3. The dnst-arrcster I, extending above the air-blast, and placed at theeifiuent end of aseparator, substantially in the manner described, andfor the purpose set forth.

OLIVER D. WOODRUFF.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. GownY, JAMES SHEPARD.

